City of Emeryville as Successor Agency to the Emeryville Redevelopment Agency - Regular Meeting

The time is 07:38. This is a special or this is a regular meeting of the city of Emeryville as successor agency to the Emeryville Redevelopment Agency. Madam clerk, I'd like to note that all members are still seated from the previous meeting. Now is the time to approve the final agenda. Do we have a motion?

No agenda.

Madam clerk, the roll.

Councilmember Pryforst?

Aye.

Councilmember Solomon? Aye. Councilmember Welch? Aye. Vice mayor Carr? Aye. And mayor Mora? Aye. Motion carries.

Now is the time for ex parte communications. Members, do you have any ex parte communications to report? Seeing and hearing none, now is the time for public comment for the consent agenda or items not on the agenda. If there are any members of the public who would like to comment on the consent agenda or items on the agenda, can you come to the podium. You'll have two minutes. Welcome. Member of Priveforce.

And this is for the regular meeting or and not the successor?

This is for the successor agency.

Okay. So then we're going to adjourn and then have a regular meeting.

That's correct.

Okay. So I would just recommend that those who would like their comments heard, wait until we're done with this and then the regular meeting.

You're also free to comment now. Proceed.

Good evening, mayor and council. My name is Empress, a lifelong Emeryville native, a proud alum of Annie Yates and Emeryville Child Development Center with summers spent at the Emeryville Pool. I hold a BFA from Pace University and a master's from NYU, bringing that same creativity and discipline into my work as an artisan baker and community mentor. Today, I am the owner of Chocolate Mama Cookie Co. At the Emory, a creative community driven space where I sell prepackaged cookies that are all produced in a licensed commercial kitchen in San Francisco as well as art and retail gifts produced by Bay Area locals.

It is not a restaurant. It is a small local business built with love, integrity, and deep respect for the community I serve. Recently, false statements were made about me, claiming I run a restaurant and host parties. That is simply untrue. The photo used to support those claims was actually taken at the city's own harvest festival, a public celebration meant to bring us together.

As someone who has grown up in Emeryville and now operates a local business, I believe deeply in its vision of being a vibrant, sustainable, and healthy community for all. As a longtime resident and entrepreneur, I want to contribute to that vision for all generations. I'm asking for partnership, for the opportunity to share my story, clear the record, and work with the city to ensure that creative, ethical small businesses can thrive without fear or misrepresentation. Thank you for listening and for your service and for giving me the space to speak.

Thank you for your comment. Are there are there any other members of the public who would like to comment? You can come to the podium. You'll have two minutes. Welcome.

Clearly, there's a height requirement for this podium. Mister mayor and miss vice mayor and members of the city council, I appreciate the opportunity to speak here today. My name is Charles Orlando. I'm a resident of Emeryville, and I reside in the building directly next door to Chocolate Mama Cooking Company. There are over 33,000,000 small businesses in The United States, which constitute, over 90% of all US businesses, employing nearly half the private workforce.

California has over 4.2 small businesses 4,200,000 small businesses, representing upwards of 95% of all companies in the state, employing more than 7,000,000 workers. Chocolate Mama Cooking Cafe is one of those economically critical businesses. These same California small businesses create a community through local engagement, through economic support, and by providing spaces for connection that create and foster a welcoming, personalized atmosphere that go beyond typical commercial interactions. In the short time the cafe has been there, the cafe and its owners and staff have provided all this and much more. They are not only representative of a destination of diversity, but also embody the first business within the Hubbard Street area that not only provide a service but also connection, a connection that in my humble opinion is vitally needed, not only in this area but also during this time of global disconnection and uncertainty.

Further, the outdoor seating area has been a pleasure for me and my family personally, but I would strongly emphasize that it is not an aesthetic upgrade. It's an investment in community life and local economic resilience. Perhaps most importantly, it aligns with Emeryville's own general plan when it calls for, and I'm paraphrasing slightly here, vibrant, walkable neighborhoods where residents can live, work, and gather in shared spaces. This cafe directly fulfills that goal. It's located in a live work zone, designed to encourage small businesses, creative enterprises, and local gathering spots that knit together residential and commercial life.

Thank you for your comment. Are there any are there any other members of the public? Welcome. You have two minutes.

Good evening, mayor and the council member. I'm the father of empress. Empress was raised and grown in Emeryville here when we have Sherman Williams, when there are a lot of companies here spilling out smoke in the city of Emeryville. Emeryville has come a long way. They have turned it around.

They are now a community of vibrant businesses, small businesses. I'm appealing to the mayor and the council member to look deeply into the allegations brought against Empress Coke chocolate mama coffee. And now we are peeled solidly and stand behind Empress chocolate coffee that is a vibrant community enterprise that bring people together. Thank you very much.

Thank you for your comment. Welcome. You have two minutes.

Greetings. My name is Tracy Bell Borden, and I am the owner of Exotic Links and Body Essentials. I am located at at Empress' location, 4310 Hubbard. I, myself, and my grandson who is 18 old has a business there. Leo's tribe has clothing, stuff that is brought in for the community.

We, appreciate the ability to be in this place. This is sacred land. I am a native, in my fifties, and this has been this is sacred land. That's all I can say. And as an Afro indigenous woman, a artist, a community member, a activist in this community, I chose to be here with Empress because I know exactly what it is that this community has been asking for.

I know what it needs, and we just felt like this was the perfect place to be in. I do have to say that because of the accusations, I have been there recently in midst of some of the problems, and we have had police called. I was there at an incident when we had three officers, three guns, and three tasers brought to an event where we were doing nothing but other than existing on land that is sacred. We do have to remember this is Ohlone land, and we are giving what it is that the community is asking for, and all we are is existing, bringing business to the city of Emeryville because most of us have been here, we have lived here, and we have existed here. And all we wanna do is exist. Thank you.

Thank you. Welcome. You have two minutes.

Good evening. This is both a professional and a private matter that brings me here tonight. I've known empress over twenty years now. And in the time that I've known her, we were a group of entrepreneurs, hairstylists, makeup artists, bakers, actors, all these things. I am a resident of the Emory.

I've been at the Emory since they have opened up and started leasing apartments. And I was so happy that Empress and her sister and another barber friend of mine, they all do the they all occupy the live workspaces. That's amazing because twenty years ago, we didn't know that this is where we would be. We're in happy places, happy space professionally and personally, and it's kind of offensive and rude that the the parties that are complaining about this, It really has no merit, has no weight. And if I could add one piece of of information or detail, they were very, very hostile towards what the lady just said before me.

He said, we were just simply existing And they called the police and they're very rude and they play loud music and they're hostile and, if you can say passive aggressive, but they were just aggressive. It was rude and I just hope that this can just go away and dissolve and let her business and our entrepreneurship exist. Thank you. Thank you.

Welcome.

Hello. Hi. My name is Ashley Williams, the owner and head roaster of Aftermath Coffee, and the co head roaster of Red Bay Coffee, one of the few black women, that is roasting in the Bay Area. I just wanted to say, as a frequent collaborator with, Chocolate Mama Cookie, this space isn't just about the cookies. It's about community, creativity, and connection.

It serves as a hub for our neighbors and for our young entrepreneurs. We're all parents, so bringing our children here to see us grow this business and build this legacy is very important to us in building the future, which is a main catchphrase of chocolate mama is welcome to the future. Some talk of the people who have made accusation have talked about protecting artists, but real inclusion is welcoming every kind of artist and giving space to all voices to thrive. We invite everyone to visit, experience a space, feel what we're building because real community isn't built by closing doors. It's built by opening hearts and pulling more chairs to the table.

So please come down to chocolate mama cookie, all of you. And, just so you know, we've also we're able to obtain a 100 signatures from residents who are saying that they love what we're doing and that they're happy that they're here, and we're welcome to share that with you if you like. Thank you.

Thank you. Are there any other members of the public who would like to speak? Welcome. Thank

you. Good evening, mayor, vice mayor, and council members. My name is Latrice McNeely. I'm a neuromuscular therapist medical massage clinician, and my art is healing. I also operate the space at Chocolate Mama Cookie Co, and I'm here today because of false claims that have been made about our space that threaten our ability to work, serve the community, and remain housed. To be clear, Chocolate Mama Cookie Co. Is not a restaurant. We do not operate a kitchen. She sells prepackaged vegan baked goods. Lee serves coffee.

As you heard, our other sister friend owns a retail retail company that she uses the space for. And Empress is a culinary artist with her vegan cookies. Unfortunately, like I said, there are false claims made, and all we are are black women led, artist led, and community care led in everything we do. Unfortunately, there are some people with social and professional privilege that have submitted misleading and aggies exaggerated comp complaints, excuse me, in an effort to push us out. These claims are not rooted in any type of documented harm or safety concern.

They reflect bias and exclusion, particularly toward black women culturally present to share a creative space. We are good neighbors. We operate legally, respectfully, and transparently. We contribute to the well-being, identity, and cultural vibrancy of Emeryville. I'm just asking the council to ensure that decisions are based on facts and not personal discomfort and that black women led businesses are not displaced through targeted complaints.

We are here to build community, not disrupt it. We are here to heal, create, and support resilience in this city. We are simply asking for the right to continue existing and contributing to the shared cultural life of the Emory and the city of Emeryville. Thank you for your consideration.

Thank you for your comment.

Good evening, council members. My name is Mo McNeely. I'm here today to speak in strong support of Chocolate Mama Cookie Company, an American owned business that has become an invaluable part of the Emery Ville community. Cafe is a space of culture and joy. It's exactly the kind of local businesses we should be nurturing and protecting.

Recently, a complaint was filed against the cafe centered on, amongst other things, music being played during normal business hours. The situation escalated when the neighbors took the step of calling the police. The irony here is I have video evidence showing those same neighbors playing loud music themselves directly in response to the cafe's music, further escalating situation and undermining the very noise complaint that they lodged. This creates a troubling double standard. The actions of these neighbors not only make the complaint feel retaliatory, but also highlight a broader issue when businesses are treated as disturbances for simply existing in their own space.

It's a form of cultural erasure. In addition, it doesn't feel good that photos are being taken of patrons in the cafe without the consent. Our community is formally asserting our reasonable expectation of privacy and a right to know the use of a tent of any images taken and how those videos and images are being used. This constitutes harassment. It's a familiar pattern of gentrification where community and cultural expression are silenced in favor of a more homogenous, quieter environment that pushes out diversity.

Chocolate Mama Cookie Co, located at 4310 Hubbard, provides more than just a service. It's a vital community hub. I urge this council to recognize the importance of supporting businesses like this, businesses that bring life and color. The cafe deserves to be protected and not and not targeted. I ask that you stand with Kayende and and her business and make it clear that Emeryville will not be tolerating any silence of culture or targeting our American owned businesses. You can also support by coming yourselves. Thank you.

Thank you. Seeing no additional public comment, we will now move to the consent calendar. Members, do we have a motion on the consent calendar?

Motion to approve. Second.

Madam clerk, the roll.

Council member Pryforst? Aye. Council member Solomon?

Aye.

Council member Welch? Aye. Vice mayor Carr? Aye. And mayor Mora? Aye. Motion carries.

The time is 07:54. This meeting is adjourned.